Watch CBS News

Alternative Storage Solutions Requested For 30-Foot Pile Of Asphalt Near Van Nuys Airport

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — In response to complaints from Lake Balboa residents and businesses about a 30-foot pile of pulverized asphalt at the Van Nuys Airport, the Los Angeles City Council instructed city staff Tuesday to come up with solutions and different storage sites.

Neighbors have complained that the enormous pile of pulverized asphalt near the airport has become an eyesore and a source of dust pollution. The pile, in the 8100 block of Balboa Place, takes up most of a long, narrow empty lot near the airport, in between a Home Depot and an office building and less than 500 feet from a neighborhood.

The council ordered a report in 60 days on possible improvements to the storage facility and options for storing the asphalt elsewhere.

"It is not OK that my district stores so much of the city's reclaimed asphalt when it comes at the expense of the well-being of the local community," said Councilwoman Nury Martinez, whose district includes the Lake Balboa area.

The Bureau of Street Services has been stockpiling reclaimed asphalt at the airport for years, but the practice drew notice this year after the mound grew bigger than usual, according to Martinez aides.

Since complaints were lodged, city crews have reduced the asphalt mound to 17 feet high and have begun watering the pile to reduce the floating dust particles, Martinez spokeswoman Linda Serrato Ybarra said.

Street Services crews are also expected to put a tarp over the mound by Dec. 12, she said.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.